The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-14
Testimnnx Rafnra the Cnrnner.

Testimony Before the Coroner.
CHATswoRTH, ILL.,, Aug. 13.-Timothy Cough
lin, the section boss. and Christian Ennis, the
roadmastsr testified before the coroner's jury
yesterday. Mr.. Coughlin's section is from two
and one-half miles west to four miles east Of
Chatsworth. He swore that. pursuant to the in
structions of the roadmaster, he went over his
section, Wednesday afternoon, beginning at the
east end al P. NJ. and ending at the west end
in the evening. He at the bridge which was
burned at $50 P. NJ, and it was then all right.
The weeds had been bnrned all along the track,
on both sides. week or ten days previously,
and there was nothing under near the bridge
except the naked earth. After he left the bridge,
the first train that passed it was the Inflated
cursion train.
Mr. Ennis testified that he had ordered the
section bosses all along the line to thoro ughly
inspect their sections the afternoon and even
ing of Wednesday, and had given such orders
by instruction of Supern tendent Armstrong.
He passed over the bridge east of Chatsworth at
P. NJ standing the rear platf orm or the
caboose from which he was inspecting the track.
and his train was the last that passed over the
bridge until the Inflated excursion train r cached
it. He believed that the bridge was set on
fire. Three years ago two attempts to wreck
trains by pling distractions on the track were
made in that vicinity.
Engineer Sutherland testified that 300 feet
this side of the bridge he the fire. He sup
posed it to be on the side of the track. but on
closer approach he saw the bridge was mass of
embers. There blaze about it. for the
Gre had subsidized. The engine passed over in
safety, but the bridge sank under its weight
and the tender was uncoupled and rolled over
the low embankment.
Fireman Rogers corroborated hisi testimony
} except that he thought they about three
hundred yards distant when they first saw the
light He jumped off when ne saw that IL was
che bridge that was burning
Fireman Appegreen, of the second engine,
the next witness. He knew nothing about
the accident till he pitched Off and was
turning a somesault.
A II. Dolph, a farmer, residing near the
bridge. saw smoke there about p. NJ. aud fire
about 8 p NJ. I; thought they the other
side of the track
J. E. Brown, of Chatsworth, saw the fire from
the depot and watched it from to IL P. NJ, he
thought it q locomotive headlight at Gill
man.
William Hallen and son. of Chatsworth, test-
fed that while standing at the depot at $50
o'clock Wednesday evening they saw a fire on
the track out east, and thought it was loco
motive headlight. At o'clock, when they went
to bed, the fire was still burning.
Julius Keopte, of Chatsworth, also saw the
fire about the same time, and thought it was a
train coming
Three section men testified, last night, that
Wednesday afternoon they burned the grass
east of the bridge from the county line to with
in forty rods of the structure. and that west of
that point the grass had been burned already,
that the fire which they left smoking at o'clock
could not have communicated to the bridge.
The inquest was adjourned to-day until Tues
day after witness had been examined. He
was w. q. Messler, q grain dealer at Chats
worth. The only thing notable about his evil
dence was the statement that although he
one of the first at the wreck and remained their
until the arrival of the first relief train he
u interference by anybody with the valuables
of the victims.
Things Now Told for the First Time.
CHATswoRTH. ILL.,, Aug. NV A. Cook,
whose father is one of the coroner's jury
Investigating the cause of the disaster, gave
account Of some things he saw on that fearful
night. which have not yet been published. II was
one of the first" said he, ito reach the wreck
from Chatsworth AS l neared the dismantled
train, stumbled over something, and when I
got into the light of the burning bridge, found
blood upon my boots. l had fallen over a
couple of victims who weIe quite dead. In one
car 1 a number of people who would have
easily filed two-thirds of the car, crowded,
with the seats and ALL into less than one-third of
the compartment Not one of them could move.
Dead and living were jammed together in one
hdeous mass. One man had been thrown up
against the roof of the coach, and his arms, in
some manner had bee1 pin ned there so that he
could not be moved. He suspended
from the roof. and was suffering horribly,
Suddenly man entered the compartment, who
evidently a fellow passenger 1t looked
il he was giving the other man assistance, but
afterward learned that he had robbed the victim
Of valuable gold watch and $408 and then
William Cowan, of the Cottage Hotel, Chats
worth, was also one of the very first on the
scene. when | got there" he said, ''the scene
was terrible. One of the first victims |
leved was a fine bronzed featured fellow who
sat with his legs and half his body jammed
between the seat which he had been sitting
and the car behind, which had telescoped the
in front. The upper half of his body
almost entirely torn away from the lower part.
yet he lived in terrible agony. He turned his
eyes on me and said: Give
be no further trouble gave him drink. He
swallowed it greedily. then drew long sigh. and
died instantly. The people in that had been
killed in rows just they sat. The bottom of
the had rushed through it almost to the
upper end at about level with the seats, and
there the victims sat IN rows. their heads thrown
back and their bodies almost torn asunder."
number of men at Piper City positively con-
tradict the testimony of Timothy Coughlin, the
section boss, that he and his gang put out all
the fires along the track before they left their
work, and proceeded to Chatsworth on WeGnes-
day evening These were of a party
which from Piper City to the wreck
a hand-car they hoard of the
accident. They arrived about an hour after the
event They say that as they passed along the
track east of the wreck they fire burning in
the grass and hedges all along the way. The
best evidence obtainable is that the fire built bv
the section hands was within one hundred rods
of the burned bridge when it left. There
is q general sentiment among residents
here that the section men were largely to blame
Very few people. except the officials of the rail-
road, give any credence TO the incendiary theory
The officials naturally desire shift the liza
bility. There was not nearly as much robbng
at the wreck some reports indicate. Watches
aud rings thought to have been stolen are being
found among the debris as it is cleared away.
Story of Survivor.
His experience in the terrible Chatsworth
accident E. A. Vosburgh. of Buffalo, N. Y,
said to a Journal reporter at the Bates House
last night, would be the remembrance of life
time. II have tried to get away from its horrible
scores" he continued, but sleeping or waking
they occur to ne as they did when l crawled
from my berth in wrecked sleeper. 1 say
sleeping, but there is little of it / have had
since that awful morning. My nerves are IN
done, and it will be some time before l am
myself again. 1t was chance that led
to take that train. had been
away from my house-that of Lautz Brothers q